Dear Reader, If you have not read anything about the Baudelaireorphans, then before you read even one more sentence, you should knowthis: Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are kindhearted and quick-witted, but theirlives, I am sorry to say, are filled with bad luck and misery. All of thestories about these three children are unhappy and wretched, and the oneyou are holding may be the worst of them all. If you haven't got thestomach for a story that includes a hurricane, a signaling device, hungryleeches, cold cucumber soup, a horrible villain, and a doll named PrettyPenny, then this book will probably fill you with despair. I willcontinue to record these tragic tales, for that is what I do. You,however, should decide for yourself whether you can possibly endure thismiserable story. With all due respect, Lemony Snicket